Open enrollment begins today, November 1, for people who buy their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.

About 80,000 people in the Kansas City area get their health insurance through the federal marketplace. Plans have changed again for 2019.

People should look closely at all of their options, and they may even save some money, said Jim Torres, health insurance services manager at Samuel Rodgers Health Center in Kansas City.

"Prices have not increased much on the Missouri side -- as a matter of fact some plans have even gone down a little bit, so prices have stabilized," Torres said. "An important thing to remember is that people who qualify for financial assistance quite often can get an affordable plan for under $100 a month."

There are some new options for insurers too, but Torres said people need to make sure their doctors and medications are covered.

"This is the time to go back, update your application, make sure that all your household financial information is accurate," Torres said. "Look at the plans carefully, because they do change a lot from year to year."

While some plans will be cheaper, many may not cover services that patients want, including pre-existing conditions, mandatory essential health benefits, hospitalization and prescription drugs.